Introduction

Catie Grasso’s career is a testament to the evolution of content marketing  —  where traditional storytelling meets cutting-edge AI, notably GenAI. As the Head of Marketing Content at Dataiku, she has mastered the balance between leveraging technology and maintaining creativity, ensuring that content remains impactful in an era of automation.

In this episode of Global Marketing Leaders, Catie sits down to discuss her career journey, the role of GenAI in content creation and execution, and why storytelling remains at the heart of effective marketing.

The Power of GenAI in Content Marketing

For many, GenAI is a disruptor, but for Catie, it’s a tool that enhances efficiency without replacing the human touch. At Dataiku, GenAI is woven into the content marketing workflow, helping scale production while keeping authenticity intact.

“AI should be an extension of your team,” Catie explains. 

Her team utilizes GenAI tools for:

• Content creation & optimization – “We use GenAI tools every day  … but it should not be your end all, be all. It should absolutely become a trusty assistant to help you be more efficient.”

• SEO & strategy ideation – AI aids in keyword research and structuring, but human oversight ensures quality.

• Scaling content production – “Being able to scale up content production without sacrificing quality is huge.”

However, she emphasizes a key principle:

“We need to make sure that when we're using these tools, we're still infusing human oversight via a human in the loop.”

Thought Leadership: More Than Just a Buzzword

Thought leadership is often misinterpreted as corporate jargon, but Catie defines it differently.

“I look at thought leadership as content that is going to help you in a really pragmatic way answer your pain points,” she says. “It’s not about technical jargon; it’s about helping audiences solve real-world problems.”

At Dataiku, thought leadership is centered around:

• Market validation (i.e., analyst recognition) and industry insights

• Customer success stories that provide tangible ROI

• Educational content that helps decision-makers navigate AI

Her takeaway?

“You’re going to want to lean heavily on some of that automation that GenAI provides, but don’t let that take away from optimizing your delivery, personalizing your content, and bringing those human-centered narratives.”

The Art of the Content Flywheel

Catie doesn’t just create content  —  she ensures it has multiple lives.

“Every campaign should be an integrated strategy,” she explains. “How can I give that content nine lives?”

Her approach involves repurposing cornerstone assets:

• A single survey report can become a blog series, a webinar, infographics, social media snippets, and even event content.

• A webinar can be broken down into snackable videos for organic social.

• A long-form research paper can fuel sales enablement content, executive summaries, and industry roundtables.

For marketers, the lesson is clear: Maximize your content’s value across multiple formats and platforms. GenAI is a key part of that repurposing story — used to generate variations of that cornerstone content by audience or industry, speed up visual content creation, or summarize the report into a webinar format, to give a few examples. 

Building Content Conviction in Large Organizations

Before Dataiku, Catie started her career at W.B. Mason, a family-owned business where traditional marketing methods still reigned. Convincing leadership of content marketing’s value was no easy feat.

“Building content conviction amidst leadership is tricky, especially in larger organizations,” she shares. “It’s about aligning efforts with business goals.”

Her key takeaways from transitioning into high-growth companies:

• Stakeholder buy-in is crucial – “We were doing a lot of printed materials, very merchandising-heavy. Moving the needle took time.”

• Cross-functional collaboration drives impact – At Dataiku, content marketing closely partners with product marketing, sales enablement, and social/comms teams.

• Digital-first companies make content marketing easier to scale – “At Dataiku, people don’t need to be convinced about AI; they already understand its value.”

Advice for Content Marketers in the AI Era

As AI reshapes the content marketing landscape, Catie’s advice is simple:

“Try to find that balance between human storytelling and AI-driven insights. AI should optimize your delivery and personalize your content, but, at the end of the day, you still need human-centered narratives.”

Her final thoughts?

“Content isn’t just about creating. It’s about making content that evokes emotion, helps organizations wade through the noise of today’s ecosystem, and solves real pain points.”

Final Thoughts: Content Marketing Is Evolving  —  So Should You

Catie Grasso’s journey is a playbook for content marketers navigating the intersection of AI and storytelling. Her key takeaways?

• AI is an enabler, not a replacement—use it wisely.

• Thought leadership should educate and add value, not just promote.

• Content isn’t static—repurpose and optimize it across channels for an impactful last mile.

• Conviction in content marketing comes from alignment with business goals.

As content marketing continues to evolve, embracing AI while maintaining authenticity will be the key to success. Marketers who adapt, innovate, and stay true to their audience’s needs will lead the way forward.